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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > I were and I was
I were and I was
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bibiacarvalho
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I were and I was
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Hello!
I have been taught the past continuous and one student asked me what is the difference about: If I were a boy / I was cleaning my house?
Thanks!!
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5 Oct 2009
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lore77
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hello the difference is that in If I were the verb to be is in the Subjunctive Mood, but nowadays we can also say if I was .
You �re welcome  |
5 Oct 2009
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Mouna mch
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hi,
you are asking when do w say "I WERE"?
if so,
we use it if we are talking about unreal situation..
eg
if i were the president of the usa
if i were a bird..
hope it helped..
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5 Oct 2009
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miyoko71
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We normally say"I was" but for conditional 2 the verb to be is always conjugated as "were", and it �s called the "unreal " conditional because it is used for unreal situations
So for the past continuous we say "I was", while for the conditional we say"If I were you I would see a doctor"
Hope this helps
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5 Oct 2009
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Fabio Ferreira
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Imaginary situation.
I say: If I were invisible (I �m not invisible, I �m just imagining this), nobody would see me.
If (simple past)..., ...would...
If I were millionary, I would buy a beach house.
If I weren �t a teacher, I woudn �t be able to help students. ;) |
6 Oct 2009
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eslgalaxy
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Hi,
The two sentences you mentioned seem to be addressing different grammar points. "If I were a boy, I would...." This is the second conditional which is used for imaginary or hypothetical cases.
And the past continuous or progressive is pretty straighforward.
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6 Oct 2009
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